One thing I love about Devolver Digital’s curation is that they are always able to procure, support and release games that no one else would have ever given a chance otherwise. It doesn’t matter if it’s an actual marijuana dealing simulator, some ultra psychedelic crap revolving around graffiti, or a re-release of a so-bad-it’s-good FromSoftware cult classic from the 2000s, they almost always come up with something unique to offer to their fanbase. This time around, however, they came up with something so utterly weird, so completely out of place, I’m still trying to wrap my head around nearly a month after its release, Skate Story. And I still have no idea of how to feel about it.

The simple act of speeding down a corridor ended up being one of the game’s most appealing features.

Alright, so try to keep up with me on this one: you play as a demon, starting the story off without a body to call its own. After acquiring a crystaline body due to the light provided by the moon, the demon suddenly decides it wants to eat it. Yep. Eat the damn moon. And this isn’t one of those stories in which the thing is made out of cheese. In order to achieve said goal, the demon signs a contract with the devil, granting it a skateboard. And this leads to the demon venturing the true acid trip nonsense that is Skate Story‘s Underworld, a place full of philosophical questions, quirky characters to interact with, and oddly enough, a crapton of stairs and rails that are simply a perfect fit for a skateboarder.

Anything related to the game’s plot flew over my head. It just wasn’t interesting, despite how trippy it was.

Look, I’m all for a quirky game, but Skate Story is something else. I don’t know how to explain. Games like Katamari Damacy are ridiculous, silly and absurdist, sure, but for one, they are not meant to be taken seriously, and secondly, they are not that hard to grasp. There’s not a single speck of pretentiousness in them, nor an attempt to make them be bigger or more important than they actually are. Skate Story just tries a bit too much, trying to tie its premise with discussions about philosophy, for instance. Had it been just a crazy game about skating through incredibly trippy environments with the simple goal of eating the moon for the sake of it, it would have been a lot more interesting, in my opinion. The game truly shines when it isn’t trying to be too deep.

The most impressive sections are, without a doubt, the linear levels contained in each open world. Those are usually obstacle-filled gauntlets taking you through the psychedelic trip of a lifetime, or a trick challenge presented in the shape of a battle against a boss. Sure, the dialogue in them is pure fluff, but the visual spectacle thrown at you in these sections needs to be seen for you to believe. In particular, the final boss battle was just something else.

What if LSD was a sports game?

It’s the obvious takeaway: Skate Story‘s presentation is out of this world, pun just moderately intended. The developer was able to come up with an art style that might look like pure nonsense at first, but it has its own personality, and has you glued in front of the screen just to see what else the game will throw at you. My reward was always being treated to something that wasn’t exactly eyecandy in the common sense of the word, but was still mesmerizing and hypnotic. I wasn’t a huge fan of the soundtrack as others, but it was equally as trippy, being a perfect fit with the game’s overall premise and presentation.

And regarding the skateboarding… well, it’s confusing at first, mostly due to its awkward button mapping, but after a couple dozen minutes with it (Skate Story isn’t about high stakes or nigh-impossible deadlines), you will get used to its trick system, which mostly revolves around the shoulder and trigger buttons. I actually really liked how each chapter just started off with you being thrown at an open park meant for you to get used to the new tricks you had just acquired, as you don’t particularly begin the game with access to all of your moves and abilities. It helped alleviate what could have otherwise been an overwhelming and exhausting gameplay loop.

Boss battles, the game’s highlight.

Even if I thought it to be a tad bit pretentious and exhaustive after a while, there is, indeed, quite a bit to like about Skate Story. It is unique, completely out of this world in terms of its premise… but at times, that might be one of its biggest issues. I loved the visuals, loved the music, and the boss battles were a highlight, but its premise and tiresome gameplay loop bored me after a while. Still, if you are looking for something you clearly have never played before, and will probably never play anything similar to it ever again, then Skate Story will be one of the most unconventional games you’ll ever play. Whether you’ll like it or not is a different story.

Skate Story is available now on PS5, PC and Switch 2.

Reviewed on PS5.

A copy of Skate Story was provided by the publisher.